Older People
The population of elderly people in the UK is growing. There are 11 million pensioners in the country (about 18% of the overall population) and it is predicted that by 2031 that percentage will increase to almost a quarter of the UK population.
The treatment of the elderly population has been the subject of an increasing number of reports, and charities working for and with older people have increasingly been highlighting issues of concern.
Two of the biggest charities are Age Concern and Help the Aged.
Age Concern
Age Concern is a registered charity and one of the largest and recognisable voluntary organisations working with older people in the United Kingdom. Age Concern is a federation of independent organisations that work together under a shared set of common standards, aims and values.
At a local level, Age Concern provides a range of services to older people. Specific services provided will vary, depending upon the locality, but are likely to include
care services such as day care, practical support such as handyperson services, and information and advice services that will provide assistance with accessing welfare benefits. Age Concern is also involved in providing services that enable older people to remain active and that promote physical and mental well-being.
Age Concern also has an important campaigning role and ensures that issues of importance to older people are raised and properly considered by government and other organisations/sectors. It actively campaigns on these issues and is a powerful voice.
The national website can be found by clicking on www.ageconcern.org.uk/.
Locally, there are Age Concern organisations in both Leicester City and for the County of Leicestershire and Rutland. There are also a number of local independent Age Concerns operating in Glenfield, Hinckley, Lutterworth, Oadby and Wigston, and Syston.
Help the Aged
Help the Aged's services are broadly similar to those of Age Concern. With an international as well as UK remit, the organisation actively works to help disadvantaged older people and campaigns on issues that affect them. Their website (www.helptheaged.org.uk) contains lots of information and you can also donate and buy goods online.
Leicestershire County Council has also developed a very useful website (called ‘Leicestershire CareOnLine') that gives loads of information on care issues and care facilities. It is not just concerned with elderly people, so it is well worth a look for other areas of interest and concern (for example, Learning Disability, Mental Ill Health, Finding Work, Travel). However, if you click on ‘Older People', you will find a large list of organisations that serve older people in a variety of ways. This includes organisations that cater for specific illnesses and disabilities.
